Blasphemous Blogging: The Blog of Edwin Kagin

Blasphemy is the crime of making fun of ridiculous beliefs others hold sacred. This blog is about satire, truth, inquiry, and critical thinking. It is about enjoying life before death. It is about how some try to control many through their notions about a make believe supernatural world and imaginary rewards and punishments after death. This blog says that blasphemy is a good thing, a healthy thing, and a good antidote to harmful superstition. This blog is about freedom. Edwin.

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Location: Union, Kentucky, United States

Kentucky State Director for American Atheists. Originator of Camp Quest. Co-Author of "The Fundamentals of Extremism; the Christian Right in America." Author of "Baubles of Blasphemy."

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

American Religious Civil War news

American Atheists Media Alert

http://www.atheists.org

"OKLAHOMA OUTRAGE," DISCRIMINATION

AGAINST ATHEISTS TOPIC OF ABC PROGRAM

This Friday, May 11, 2007 ~ Kagin, Smalkowski Family

WHAT: A special two-hour ABC Network program scheduled to air this Friday, May 11 will discuss prejudice against Atheists in American, particularly in the city of Hardesty, Oklahoma, where Nicole Smalkowski was expelled from public school on false charges when she refused to stand in a circle on the auditorium floor with the girls’ basketball team and recite the “Lord’s Prayer."

Her father Chuck Smalkowski was falsely indicted on criminal charges, all because of prejudice against their assertion of their rights as Atheists. American Atheists participated in Chuck’s criminal trial that resulted in three “Not Guilty” verdicts by a jury. Edwin Kagin, National Legal Director for American Atheists, persuaded the jury to swear to believe an Atheist under oath over a Christian if the facts so warranted. Following the verdict, American Atheists and the Smalkowski family filed a lawsuit for civil rights violations by state actors, under color of state law, in the Federal Court of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Smalkowskis, Edwin Kagin, and Richard Dawkins share a nine minute segment of this program that was recorded in ABC’s studios in New York City, and on location in Hardesty and Guymon, Oklahoma. Richard Rice, a Christian, who has agreed to serve as Oklahoma local counsel in the lawsuit, was interviewed on camera in Oklahoma. The four days of filming, condensed to nine minutes, will of necessity omit many things and one or more of the persons filmed may be cut.

WHO: American Atheists members Nichole Smalkowski and Chuck Smalkowski and Edwin Kagin, National Legal Director for American Atheists.

WHEN: Friday, May 11, 2007 for two hours, starting at 9:00 pm (EDT).

WHERE: 20-20 show on ABC television, thought to be titled “Religion in America.”

MORE INFO:

www.atheists.org/flash.line/smalko1.htm

www.atheists.org/flash.line/smalko3.htm

www.atheists.org/legal/Smalkowski/Entry%20of%20Appearance%20Kagin%20filed%2024%20Aug%202006.pdf

(AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

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American Religious Civil War news.

Answers in Genesis is finally ready to open their much mouthed “Creation Museum.”

This monumental tribute to nonsense, this world class ignorance, will open on Memorial Day, May 28th, 2007 in Northern Kentucky, as, with drums beating and banners waiving, they encourage a march backwards into the dark past of the mind from which we have so painfully and so recently evolved.

In one generation, it might be actually possible to cause humankind to forget science and to once again cower under a miasma of myth.

It is stunning how many similar facilities dedicated to destroying our civilization have sprung up like turd blossoms across our free land.

See: http://www.nwcreation.net/museums.html

Edwin.

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On Miracles and Microchips

It's a miracle. Overworked monastic scrivener, in T.V. commercial, upon

introduction to Xerox electronic copier.

The Reverend Gilder Smelt, of the Mail Me Magic Money Miracle Missions Movement, had been blessed with the gifts of miracle healing and of prophecy, but, regrettably and inexplicably, had been denied the gift of correct grammar. He was held a prophet of God by his followers when he spoke on the 7Ms Club's vast radio and television network. He had succeeded the movement's founder, Dr. Ducworth Bliss, after the latter had been, according to Rev. Smelt, translated directly into heaven like Elijah and the BVM.

Secular authorities held the less metaphysical view that Dr. Duck, as they termed him, had faked his death in a plane crash in Brazil, where he then proceeded to reside, safe from secular extradition, among fellow travelers of Nazi persuasion. Authorities also cynically believed that Bliss had taken with him a large quantity of mailed miracle money, sent him by the gullible who accepted the teaching that the last dollar of the starving, if sent as magic seed money in cash to 7Ms, would be multiplied and returned by God to the sinning sender seven times seventy fold. Because 7Ms was an officially recognized church, it paid no taxes and could not be made to disclose how much money it received, or how much was missing, assuming anyone really knew.

Dr. Duck's disappearance permitted the grammatically challenged Smelt to expand upon the mendacity of his mentor, and added a certain irony to 7Ms' theme song, "More More Money Makes Miracle Missions Move." Previously satisfied with receiving the last mites of the hopeless, whose faith usually proved inadequate, after the transfer of funds, to achieve the miracles sought, the 7Ms Club, under Smelt, tooled up for serious electronic chautauqua.

With the compensated aid of shills, and the uncomprehending cooperation of the habitually hysterical and hypochondriacal, 7Ms' fortune and fame flourished. The only real problem Rev. Smelt encountered was deciding whether to condition members of his audience—of the soon to be miraculously cured—to fall backwards or forwards following his heavenly healing touch. He settled on forwards. Some of the fallees seeking the strong arms of salvation were attractive, full bosomed young women.


None of Brother Smelt’s miracles, whether calling on the power of God to produce healings or to prevent hauntings, were ever verified by competent skeptics. Why permit the damned to question the ordained? What, Smelt unartfully argued, could science, or logic, or reason hope to provide the human spirit that could possibly compare or compete with faith, with the promise that all things hoped for would be provided, if not immediately, then in an invisible future world where you don't get hurt if you fall on your face. When asked by a godless cynic why so many people sent so much money they didn't have for miracles that didn't happen, Gilder Smelt replied, "We done it for God." And, as predictably as a Harvard graduate telling you he is one, the insecure and the frightened lined up to fall down.

7Ms' miracle mania swept the world. Audio tapes, videos, CDS, interactive CD-ROMs, tee shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, and every conceivable sort of bizarre religious kitsch was sent out for free to believers who sent in love gifts of magic miracle seed money. One popular item, the Ye-are-the-salt-of-the-earth, glow-in-the-dark, seashell salt shaker, formed in the image of the translated to heaven Ducworth Bliss, was sent without charge to those who made heroic love gift payments on their eternal life insurance policies. Often this variegated shaker became the centerpiece on altars of families whose polluted water supply would prematurely merge them with The Eternal Bliss.

Sufficient funds were received to permit Miracle Missions to expand into world wide real estate holdings. Miracle theme parks, hotels, office buildings, campgrounds, and even Miracle Meals fast food restaurants became common throughout America and most foreign countries. Gilder's favorite dish, grilled Spam and Velveeta cheese with onion, lettuce, mayonnaise and ketchup on white bread, was sold by the billions as the Miracle Smelt Melt. 7Ms was ready to control the world.

Almost as fast as a priest on a choirboy, individual religions lost their identities. When a denomination discovered 7Ms suddenly owned even its church properties, rather than be evicted, the elders usually agreed to change their signs. Eventually, and not altogether bloodlessly, 7Ms came to hold solid supernatural superiority on earth. When only the conventicles and those pesky Atheists seemed beyond their reach, 7Ms decided to change some laws.

The previously shepherdless sheep, who now consumed Smelt Melts, willingly elected religious bigots and scientific illiterates to all public offices. School teachers taught children the More More Money song, and all learning became dedicated to the proposition that one lived only for 7Ms, so that one could live blissfully after death. All knowledge was held electronically and dispensed electronically, by video while awake, and by audio while asleep. Creationism and faith classes replaced the teachings of outlawed scientific heresies that had claimed it was possible to find out how the world really worked, or where humans really came from. The libraries of the older learning were destroyed.

Years passed. Everywhere was seen the fixed smile and thousand yard stare of the fanatically faithful. There was the occasional stoning of someone who claimed the fixed earth moved, and every so often children were reassigned, and their parents re-educated, if their traditional family was found to be practicing home schooling in science, or sex education, or teaching the heresy of reason. But, in general, life was good. For a while.

Suddenly, things fell apart. Viruses evolved that didn't know there was no evolution, nor that they could be stopped by faith. Almost simultaneously, the equipment that directed electrons to become images and voices failed. Secular scientists and science had been outlawed. Anyone who remembered and practiced the old ways, who knew how to repair or create a computer or a microchip, was in hiding or dead. 7Ms could neither deal with the plague, nor get their messages on line. Everyone was sick or dying; no miracle worked, and the voice of god in the machine was silent. A fortiori, faith failed.


Blame for these happenings was imputed to the Atheists. The Blissful Judgement was upon the faithful, because they had been meek and gentle with those who had sought to control nature and deny god's plan.

Darkness and death covered the land. The dead were left to bury the dead. No invisible electron could be controlled. Faith was swallowed up in viruses. The unseen world had triumphed over the seen.

Some time passed before the first of the Atheists emerged. He was an ancient, gaunt man; his hand held the hand of a beautiful young woman. They had received inoculations, from their people, before their own computers had fallen silent in their secret places. All electronic information in the world was now forever lost. The destruction was as complete as that of the righteous fires that once consumed the collected knowledge of the Maya. This time, religion had destroyed itself in its own temple, using its own rules.

"Hypatia," the old man said, "I want to show you something." They walked in silence, until they reached an outdoor Altar of Bliss. He swept away the salt shaker, and shells and salt splattered as the icon smashed on the marble. He withdrew a package from his bag, and placed it on the altar. When the tattered, watertight wrappings were removed, he stood back and let the child gaze in wonder at the treasure. After some moments she said, "Grandfather, it's beautiful. What is it?"

He looked deeply into the health, and strength, and creativity, and intelligence, and curiosity of her human eyes, unglazed by grace, and said, "It's a book."

Edwin Kagin (from Baubles of Blasphemy)

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Rally for Reason

www.rallyforreason.com

If you think being outdoors in response to a threat to the foundations of knowledge is too much trouble, do not worry. Those who would establish a theocracy over us have promised to attack only when it is convenient for you, when it is not raining, when you can be warm, dry, safe, well fed, and have had plenty of time to engage in Liberal Angst over just what to do. Meanwhile, others will fight the American Religious Civil War and protect your freedoms for you.

Do you have something more important to do this Memorial Day?

Edwin

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am a 25 year old record lable C.E.O.. If you want to ball out of Control you need to do this. I have made $10,000 in about a month and I have so much Music Equipment it's ridiculous. So if you need some dough, loot, money whatever you call it just read this and follow the instructions and the money will start pouring in.

I'm sure you’ve read these letters asking you to send $1 to 6 different addresses. Putting your home address on the internet can be risky, but through paypal all you have to provide is your email address. It’s safe and easy just go to www.paypal.com and set up your account!!!! I am not a gullible person and have never trusted things like this, but I gave it a try, hey its only $6, I figured at least 6 people would respond out of the millions of people that use the internet. You should give it a try too! You have nothing to lose, and thousands to gain! Read on for the letter that I found ...
$$ HOW TO TURN $6 INTO $6,000+!!! THIS REALLY CAN MAKE YOU EASY MONEY!! IT WORKS!!! BUT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER FOR IT TO WORK!!!! $$

A little while back, I was browsing through newsgroup, just like you are now and came across an article similar to this that said you could make thousands dollars within weeks with only an initial investment of $6.00! So I thought, "Yeah, right, this must be a scam", but like most of us, I was curious, so I kept reading. Anyway, it said that you send $1.00 though paypal to each of the emails stated in the article. You then place your own email address in the bottom of the list at #6, and post the article in at least 200 news groups. (There are thousands) No catch that was it. So after thinking it over, and talking to few people first, I thought about trying it. I figured what have I got to lose except $6.00, right? Like most of us I was a little skeptical and a little worried about the legal aspects of it. It follows the same regulations as the "mailed chain letters, which according to the U.S. Post Office (1-800-725-2161) is indeed legal! Then I invested the measly $6.00. Well GUESS WHAT!!? Within 7 days, I started getting money in my paypal account! I was shocked! I figured it would end soon, but the money just kept coming in. In my first week, I made about $20.00. By the end second week I had made a total over $1,200.00!!! In the third week I had over $10,000.00 and it's still growing. This is now my fourth week and I have made a total of just over $36,000.00 and it's still coming in rapidly. It's Certainly worth $6.00. I have spent more than that on the lottery!! Let me tell you how this works and most importantly, why it works? Also, make sure you print a copy of this article NOW, so you can get the information off of it as you need it.

$$ REQUIREMENTS: You must have a verified paypal account. If you do not have an account you can go to www.paypal.com and follow the instructions to set up a free account. In order to place the initial $6 into your account, you will have to verify your bank account with paypal (which may take a few days). Paypal is 100% secure and is used by millions of people world wide.

STEP 1: Send, through paypal, $1.00 to each email on the below list. Make the subject of the payment "Email List" and in the comments, write "PLEASE PUT ME ON YOUR EMAIL LIST." What you are doing is creating a service by this and best of all you are not giving your address to anyone you do not know ... THIS IS ABSOLUTELY LEGAL! The email list:

#1) clazthecat@hotmail.com
#2) mjd@dsl.pipex.com
#3) punkska68@hotmail.com
#4) invest@caramail.com
#5) chiprideandjoy@aol.com
#6) biggyrlent@hotmail.com

STEP 2: Now take the #1 email off the list that you see above, move the other addresses up (6 becomes 5, 5 becomes 4, etc) and add YOUR email address (the one used on the paypal account) as number 6 on the list.

STEP 3: Change anything you need to, but try to keep this article as close to original as possible. Now, post your amended article to at least 200 newsgroups, message board. (I think there are close to 32,000 groups) All you need is 200, but remember, the more you post, the more money you make - as well as everyone else on the list!

$$ DIRECTIONS $$ HOW TO POST TO NEWSGROUPS + MESSAGE BOARDS $$

Step #1) You do not need to re-type this entire letter to do your own posting. Simply put your CURSOR at the beginning of this letter and drag your CURSOR to the bottom of this document, and select 'copy' from the edit menu. This will copy the entire letter into the computer memory.

Step #2) Open a blank 'notepad' file and place your cursor at the top of the blank page. From the 'edit' menu select 'paste'. This will paste a copy of the letter into notepad so that you can add your name to the list.

Steps #3) save your new notepad file as a .txt file. If you want to do your postings in different sittings, you'll always have this file to go back to.

Step #4) Use Netscape or Internet Explorer and try searching for various newsgroups, on-line forums, message boards, bulletin boards, chat sites, discussions, discussion groups, online communities, etc. For example: you log on to any search engine like yahoo.com, google.com, altavista.com, excite.com then you search with subject like ?millionaire message board? or ?money making message board? or ?employment message board? or ?money making discussions? or ?money making forum? or ?business message board? etc. You will find thousands & thousands of message boards. Click them one by one then you will find the option to post a new message.

Step #5) Visit these message boards and post this article as a new message by highlighting the text of this letter and selecting paste from the Edit menu. Fill in the Subject, this will be the header that everyone sees as they scroll thru the list of postings in a particular group, click the post message button. You're done with your first one! Congratulations? THAT'S IT!! All you have to do is jump to different newsgroups and post away, after you get the hang of it, it will take about 30 seconds for each newsgroup!

$$ REMEMBER, THE MORE NEWSGROUPS AND/OR MESSAGE BOARDS YOU POST IN, THE MORE MONEY YOU WILL MAKE!! BUT YOU HAVE TO POST A MINIMUM OF 200** That's it! You will begin receiving money within days! $$

$$ JUST MAKE SURE THE EMAIL YOU SUPPY IS EXACTLY AS IT APPEARS ON PAYPAL. $$ Now the WHY part: Out of 200 postings, say I receive only 5 replies (a very low example). So then I Made $5.00 with my name at #6 on the letter. Now, each of the 5 persons who just sent me $1.00 make the MINIMUM 200 postings, each with my name at #5 and only 5 persons respond to each of the original 5, that is another $25.00 for me, now those 25 each make 200 MINIMUM posts with my name at #4 and only 5 replies each, I will bring in an additional $125.00! Now, those 125 persons turn around and post the MINIMUM 200 with my name at #3 and only receive 5 replies each, I will make an additional $625.00! OK, now here is the fun part, each of those 625 persons post a MINIMUM 200 letters with my name at #2 and they only receive 5 replies that just made me $3,125.00!!! Those 3,125 persons will all deliver this message to 200 newsgroups with my name at #1 and if still 5 persons per 200 newsgroups react I will receive $15,625.00! With an original investment of only $6.00!

A - M - A - Z - I - N - G - $$

$$ When your name is no longer on the list, you just take latest posting in the newsgroups, and send out another $6.00 to names on the list, putting your name at number 6 again. And start posting again. The thing to remember is, do you realize that thousands of people all over the world are joining the internet and reading these articles everyday, JUST LIKE YOU are now!! So can you afford $6?? And see if it really works?? I think so? People have said, what if the plan is played out and no one sends you the money? So what are the chances of that happening when there are tons of new honest users and new honest people who are joining the internet and newsgroups everyday and are willing to give it a try? Estimates are at 20,000 to 50,000 new users, every day, with thousands of those joining the actual Internet.

Remember, play FAIRLY and HONESTLY and this will work. Seriously, most people think this is a scam, but you actually do get thousands of dollars out of it, it is NOT another crazy stupid scam, if people follow through with sending out $6, it works!!!!!

$$ REMEMBER, IT IS 100% LEGAL! DON'T PASS THIS UP! $$

Look at what PayPal had to say about it! (or ask them for yourself)

Dear ************

Thank you for contacting PayPal. We apologize for the delay in responding to your service request.

It has come to our attention that there is a PayPal scheme floating around at the moment you may have heard or seen the $5 scheme. You may have even taken part in it well we have been asked a lot of questions about this scheme the answer is yes it does work and yes it is safe to use providing you follow the rules it is legal and has made a big hit on the internet this year.

Thank you for using PayPal! Sincerely, PayPal Community Support.

There's no use trying to cheat for only $6.00 ***

$$ Have fun! $$

6:17 PM EDT  

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